Bottle carrier



ee. 16. 1947. E. H. ULBRICH B TTLE CARRIER Filed April 3, 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 16, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CARRIER Ernest H. Ulbrich, Dubuque, Iowa Application April 3, 1946, Serial No. 659,193

2 Claims. (Cl. 224-45) This invention relates to improvements in bottle carriers, and has for its principal object to provide a more simple, efficient and economical device for carrying a plurality of bottles by hand, A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle carrier in which the bottles may be firmly held against relative movement when locked in the carrier.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a bottle carrier constructed in accordance with my invention, and showing the bottles in locked position therein.

Figure 2 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottle carrier shown in the preceding figures, but with the bottles removed from the device.

Figure 4 is a detail transverse section of the carrier taken on line 44 of Figure 1, showing one bottle in locked position therein.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing, the carrier consists essentially of a main spacing frame [0, a locking loop or frame I I, and a pair of flexible handle pieces l2, [2 connected at opposite ends of the main frame.

The main frame l consists of a pair of laterally spaced parallel side bars I5, 15 connected by an intermediate partition member [6 having opposed outwardly facing shoulders I1, I! along and below the side bars [5. In the form shown herein, the main frame is formed from a piece of sheet metal, bent in U-shape to form the intermediate partition member 16, the outwardly facing shoulders H, I! then being formed by the opposed upright walls l8 connected by a bottom web l9, and the side bars 15 being formed by terminal flanges bent outwardly from the top of each upright wall l8.

Each of the side bars are provided with a plurality of equally spaced, outwardly opening notches 20, herein three in number, to receive the necks of standard bottles 2|, 2| individually in close fitting engagement therein immediately below the usual enlargements 22 at the top of the bottles. The inner edge of each notch 20 is spaced outwardly from the proximate upright wall 18 the proper distance so that the flaring neck 23 of each bottle will engage the shoulder ll along the lower edge of the adjacent side wall when said bottle is disposed in upright position relative to the holder, and its neck is seated in its respective notch 20.

The bottles are securely held in the position above described by the locking loop or frame H.

In the form shown herein, said locking loop consists of a continuous band of heavy wire, generally rectangular in shape and of proper size to pass over the top of the frame If) and also tops of the bottles 2i when the necks of the latter are seated in their individual notches. The locking loop l I is designed to engage the flaring outer sides of the bottles approximately opposite the proximate shoulder H, to hold the neck of each bottle securely against said shoulder, at a level considerably below the notched portion 20 of the side bars I5.

In the form shown herein, the locking loop II is hinged in the eye 25 formed at the end of the bottom wall [9, with its other end arranged for latching engagement in locking position by pushing the free end of said loop downwardly along the inclined end surfaces 26, 26 of the upright walls l8, 18 until it engages in notches 21, 21 at the bottom of said walls. The loop can be readily unlatched from the notches 21 by hand, when desired. It will be understood, of course, that the locking loop can be applied as a separate member without hinged connection to the frame [0, if desired.

The handle members 12 may be formed of any suitable flexible material such as cord or rope, passed through apertures 38, 30 and knotted under the bottom wall I9 of the frame, as shown in Figure 2, so that said handle members may be grasped by the hand for carrying the holder.

With the arrangement above described, it will be understood that when the locking loop H is applied to the frame II] in engagement with the necks of the bottles, the bottles are supported at three different engaging areas, one being along the edges of the notches 20 at the level of the side bars l5, the second being provided by the shoulder l1, and the third being provided by the locking loop II. The second and third engaging areas are spaced in a plane substantially below notches 20 and on opposite sides of the bottles, so that all of the bottles are rigidly held in upright parallel position to resist lateral movement relative to each other, thus preventing accidental breakage while the device is in use.

Although I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a carrier for bottles or the like, a, holding ceiving the necks of bottles individually therein,

an integral connecting member forming an intermediate partition with outwardly facing shoulders disposed substantially below and spaced inwardly from the inner edges of said notches, and a locking frame fitting over and along said side bars when the bottle necks are seated in said notches, 'with 'said locking frame engaging the flaring sides of the bottles substantially below their necks to force the latter into engagement with the outwardly facing shoulders of said partition, and said holding frame having detachable locking means for said locking frame including downwardly and outwardly inclinedendfa'ceson the end of said intermediate partition with a looking notch therein for engagement with said looking frame.

2. In a carrier for bottles or the like, a holding frame having two laterally'exten'ding sidebars each with outwardly 'openingnotches for-receivingthe necks of bottles individuallytherein;an

integral"connecting member forming an intermediatepartition with outwardly facing "shoulders disposed substantially loelowand spaced in- 4 wardly from the inner edges of said notches, and a locking frame fitting over and along said side bars when the bottle necks are seated in said notches, with said locking frame engaging the flaring sides of the bottles substantially below their necks to force the latter into engagement with the outwardly facing shoulders of said partition, said locking frame being hinged at one end to said holding frame and said holding frame having a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface on the opposite end'of said intermediate partition with a locking notch therein for engagefnent with the free end of said locking frame.

ERNEST H. ULBRICH.

- -REFERENCES CITED H The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

' UNITED- STAT-ES PATENTS Number *Name Date 1' 8831324 Matthai NOV. 22, 1932 --2; 212, 2 37 Jenkins s "Aug. 20, 1940 2264303 Kruea Dec. 2,1941 233 9598 Burge et a1. Jan. 18, 1944 

